Does anyone care about when it’s “appropriate” to wear white? We don’t know, but we do know that these seasonal white pieces would look amazing on your bod all summer long.

1. White romper

This outfit could not be more summer appropriate. In our opinion, 2016 should be declared the summer of the romper. And this piece is the perfect way to celebrate the trend. This American-made romper is detailed with ruffles and has a flirty, off-the-shoulder cut. We suggest wearing this piece at the first truly sweltering summer BBQ you go to so you can chill, eat, and drink without breaking a sweat. Priced at $128.

2. White maxi dress

There’s just something about wearing a white maxi dress that can make you feel like a goddess. So, if you feel like getting your goddess on, splurge and get this beautiful, flowing, white dress. It’s asymmetrical, made of silk—vegans take note—and features a crochet trim on the bodice and hem. This is a perfect gown for a late summer cocktail party. Priced at $495.

3. White pants

Now, we’ve got to admit that white pants look best in late spring and throughout the summer and tend to look a bit out of place in the dead of winter. So, take advantage of this beautiful season and get a pair of high-rise flare jeans. Pair these pants with a white top—similar to the one pictured above—or with any other color to stand out in a crowd. Priced at $189.

4. White top

Who doesn’t love a fun, flirty top that is like no other piece you currently own? This white shell top can be worn with a simple bralette underneath if you want to create a sexy look, or a white cami if you’re outfitting for the office. Priced at $148.

5. White jacket

Similar to white pants, white jackets tend to look best when worn during the warmer months. So, if you’re going to invest in a nice white jacket, pick something that has a slight edge but has beautiful lines so it can be worn to a fancy party or a casual outing. We like this jacket because of it’s styling—and its great price ($29.40). Pair with any outfit when you know you’re going to need a coverup.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Image of woman in white via Shutterstock

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This Memorial Day, come equipped with an arsenal of recipes that are diverse enough to wow everyone at the dinner table or afternoon picnic. These 20 recipes have been vetted by EcoSalon’s food writers, so you know they’ve been tried, tested and passed with flying colors, before being gobbled up.

Whether your a meat-lover or veggie-fiend, you are sure to find something that suits your taste buds and gets your in the mood to celebrate this special holiday. Kick off the summer season with a great meal.

Make sure you pair these delicious dishes with a tasty IPA, a sparkling white wine or maybe even opt for a home-brewed kombucha cocktail recipe.

A lot of these recipes feature the grill, which fits the occasion perfectly. These Memorial Day recipes range from finger foods and side dishes to main dishes and desserts, often carrying a healthy twist. So skip the fuss of searching further – we’ve honed the list down for you with these 20 Memorial Day-apropos dishes. Enjoy!

EcoSalon Roundup: 20 Memorial Day Recipes

1. Grilled Vegetable Gyros Recipe with Cucumber Mint Sauce

2. Grilled Zucchini Salad Recipe with Cilantro Lime Sauce

3. Barbecue Dessert Recipe: Sweet and Simple Grilled Plantains

4. Grilled Veggie Burger Recipe

5. Easy Grilled Vegan Pound Cake Recipe

6. Blueberry Pancake Recipe

7. Vegan Ice Cream Cookie Cake Recipe

8. Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake Recipe

9. White Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger

10. Vegan Summer Chickpea Salad Recipe with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Herbs

11. Raw Salad Recipe: Sprouted Hummus Collard Rolls

12. 4 Swanky (and Skinny) Memorial Day Cocktail Recipes

13. Grilled Salmon Panini Recipe with Cream Cheese

14. Kale and Hazelnut Quinoa Cakes

15. Healthy No-Bake Desserts

16. 5 Vegan Chocolate Recipes

17. Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

18. Grilled Tempeh

19. Fresh Summery Tomato Pasta

20. Vegan Avocado Alfredo Pasta

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Veggie burger image via Shutterstock

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Picnic season is upon us! Get ready for every outdoor summery meal by picking up a few pretty picnic outfits now. Because once Memorial Day comes, you’ll be too busy to shop…

1. Beaded Beauty Romper

Rompers and jumpsuits are so in this season. We love this romper because it’s simple but very elegant (it would be ideal for an evening date picnic), and it will allow you to bend with ease. Pick from the pale green or the orchid hue. This jumpsuit would look great with a small, wedged heel and a chunky necklace (similar to the one pictured above). Priced at $168.

2. Summertide Swing Dress

We love this maxi dress because it’s long and flowing. And because it’s long and flowing, it’s a breeze to move around in. Also: This dress’ color scheme is on-point. To turn heads: pair with strapy wedges. To stay comfy: slap on a pair of simple, black flip flops and join in the game of Frisbee. Priced at $99.95 from Anthropologie

3. Basically Cool Top in White and The Day We Meadow Shorts

Nothing beats a great pair of trendy, high-waisted shorts and a simple white tank top when you’re outside all day long. Both these pieces come from ModCloth. While each piece is simple, they feature enough unique details (just look at those flowers) to make the wearer subtly standout. Wear with a pair of boho Birkenstocks to complete the look. The shirt is $19.99 and the shorts are $44.99.

4. J. Crew Casual Dress

This strapless sundress is the perfect attire for a summer solstice picnic. It’s simple, sunny, and strapless — our three favorite things! Complete the look with a pair of strapy gladiator sandals — be prepared for a ton of compliments. Priced at $31.99 from ThredUp.

5. Free People Casual Dress

This casual dress is incredibly beautiful and the appropriate amount of flirty, classy, and simple. This is another dress that would pair well with the on-trend, modern Birki’s, or no-heel sandals. Beaded, dangling jewelry is a must with this look. Also: Because this dress is from ThredUp, it’s much cheaper than its original, Free People price tag. Priced at $25.99.

Other accessories to consider pairing with these picnic outfits include:

Fringed bags

Sunglasses

Do you have any picnic outfits that you always wear? I tend to be a cut-off jean short and simple t-shirt kind of girl. I like to keep it simple because I often spill wine or ketchup on myself… Have you bought any new picnic outfits for the upcoming summer season?

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The post 5 Pretty Picnic Outfits to Turn Heads This Summer appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnWhen we’re breaking bread, we’re creating memories, memories that weave our life story together.

A year ago I was on a trip in France with a man named Frank Moore.

Frank Moore is a 91-year old World War II veteran that stormed the beaches of Normandy. A native Oregonian, he’s a world renowned fly fisherman. He had returned to France to fulfill a lifelong dream of fishing on rivers that he once crossed as a soldier, and we were there to make a film about it.

I know, I know, this is a column about food, and here I am talking about a fly fishing veteran. How do the two go together? Bear with me.

Frank is the kind of man that you’ve always wanted to meet. He’s wise and full of stories. His wife Jeanne is the same, and together they make a loving couple who have been through thick and thin for more than 70 years.

While traveling with Frank, I thought a lot about food. After landing on Utah Beach, Frank and his fellow allied troops made their way through France, and eventually ended up in Luxembourg in need of some serious R&R. He spent several weeks in Luxembourg, and he has a story of a meal that a woman in the village made for him and a few other soldiers. In the midst of war, this was not a time of opulence, and yet this woman knew that these men needed a real meal, they needed the act of breaking bread with fellow humans in a peaceful setting. Something to provide them sustenance, both physically and emotionally.

Frank recounts this meal as a feast, better than anything he had eaten since he had landed in Europe. In the midst of war, he had a moment to sit, eat and share a moment with others, and that memory is forever etched into his mind.

Throughout our time in France working on the film “Mending the Line,” we ate a lot of special meals. People invited us into their homes, honored to cook for Frank and Jeanne. In Normandy meals were fueled by cidre fermier and followed by smelly Pont-l’Évêque cheese. If we were lucky there was a round of Calvados to finish the evening.

After an emotional morning walking Utah Beach, we gathered around a table, diving into cast iron pots of mussels fresh from the salty waters.

A morning before fishing on a quiet river in the countryside of Normandy, a breakfast spread of local eggs and yogurt, all of us seated around the huge farm table in a tiny river cottage.

There was a picnic on the banks of the Sélune River, a river Frank had crossed 69 years earlier, looking down to see a fish hanging from a riverside cafe, wishing that he had his fishing rod instead of a gun. Frank, Jeanne and their son Frankie sat in the sunshine, sharing a baguette, some charcuterie and a hunk of cheese. Simple, yet symbolic.

A year later, as I meet up with Frank and Jeanne again – this time to screen the film at Mountainfilm – I think back to these meals that I shared with them. The moments of laughter around tables. The moments of wisdom from Frank as he told a story while we waited for food to be served. The mornings where Jeanne would get a glint in her eye when she realized that, yes, once again she would get to eat a buttery croissant for breakfast.

Certain meals become the thread that tie our life stories together. We remember certain dishes, and time spent around a table with other people. Food brings us together, no matter where we are, no matter where we are from.

Frank and Jeanne went on to have a lot of experiences through food. For years they ran the Steamboat Inn in Southern Oregon, cooking meals for upwards of 60 people at a time. Frank and Jeanne treated their guests like they were family, breaking bread with visitors from around the world.

Food is a way to share love, and if Frank and Jeanne have taught me anything, it’s that you have to give love to the world. And what better way than through food?

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Anna Brones

The post The Beauty of Breaking Bread, a Story of Sharing Food: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

Memorial Day is just around the corner and nothing screams warm weather and an impending summer quite like a fruity gesture. The following four cocktail recipes gear you up for a buzz-worthy summer. And these cocktail recipes are not only delicious, they are also good to your waistline! The ingredients are fresh and the recipes easy to prepare. Enjoy!

1. Watermelon Margarita

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen watermelon
• 1.5 ounces tequila
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 packet (or a few drops) stevia
• 2 ounces lime seltzer

Directions: Blend all together and serve in a margarita glass rimmed with a salt/sugar mix.

2. Mango Berry Sangria

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of white wine
• 1 cup fresh apple juice
• ½ cup orange liquor
• 1 cup mango puree
• 1 cup of assorted berries
• ¼ cup lime juice
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• 1 ½ cups ginger ale
• 1 lime, sliced
• Ice
• Stevia for added sweetness (optional)

Directions: In a pitcher, stir together the apple juice, orange liquor, mango puree, berries, lime juice and mint. Cover the pitcher and let sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Before serving, remove the mint leaves and fill the pitcher with ice. Then add in the ginger ale, lime slices, and wine. Stir until combined. For additionally sweetness, add stevia. Garnish with fresh mint.

3. Sparkling Barefoot Peach Bellini

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 fresh peaches (or 2 cups frozen sliced peaches)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoon agave syrup
• 1 bottle Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
• Sliced fresh peaches and mint for garnish

Directions: Puree the fresh or frozen peaches with the lemon and agave until smooth. Pass through a sieve if using fresh peaches in order to separate the peels from the mix. Pour into a large pitcher and add sparkling wine. Stir and serve in champagne flutes. Garnish with sliced fresh peaches or fresh mint.

4. Limoncello Collins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces Limoncello
• 6 ounces gin
• ½ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• Paper-thin slices of lemon (10-12)
• Ice
• Club water
• Mint for garnish

Directions: Mix together the Limoncello, gin and lemon juice in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Line glasses with the slices of lemon, pressing them to the sides. Fill with ice and divide the Limoncello mixture among the four glasses. Top with club soda.

Aylin Erman is founder of GlowKitchen. There she shares step-by-step picture recipes of her plant-based creations. Aylin lives and works in Istanbul as a writer and editor at the country’s first-ever green-living and sustainability platform, Yesilist. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter to keep up with food news and recipes.

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Planning a graduation party, family reunion, or just a backyard barbecue with a few friends? Grill up a tasty feast without the big carbon footprint.

If you’re planning a Memorial Day cookout, big or small, you’re probably tempted to reach for the old standbys: paper plates, plastic cutlery, canned beverages, and packaged meats. Unfortunately, along with ease and convenience, these American barbecue staples come with a lot of unnecessary waste and negative environmental impacts.

With a little planning and some flexibility, you can plan a gorgeous cookout with delicious food that won’t leave you with a big case of eco-guilt. Here are some tips that will get you started.

Skip The Charcoal Briquettes

Sure, they’re available at just about every grocery store, but that cheap charcoal isn’t as innocent as it seems. “Burning charcoal or wood produces clouds of sooty particles that can lodge in lungs, irritating asthma and other respiratory problems,” writes Brian Howard for the Daily Green. “Carcinogenic volatile organic compounds like benzene are released. The whole mess can contribute to smog.”

Instead, grab a bag of lump or ‘natural charcoal’ which is made from hardwood, contains no additives, and produces less ash when burned than briquettes. You’ll still get that smoky sear you want, without worrying about lighter fluid soaking into your food. Check out the 365 brand of real hardwood charcoal available at Whole Foods.

Opt For Non-Plastic Plates & Flatware

It may feel great, just tossing all the used plates and forks into the trash when the barbecue’s over, but the few minutes you save are doing years of harm to the planet. In addition to being a waste of money, disposable dishes and cutlery contribute to the mountain of plastic waste already swirling around in our landfills and oceans.

If you’re cooking out in your own backyard, simply use the plates, cups, and traditional cutlery in your kitchen. If that’s not viable, choose reusable plastic options, such as Recycline’s Preserve Tableware, or compostable alternatives made from bamboo or sugar cane. Check out the Sustainable Earth line of compostable cutlery offered at Staples.

Choose Local Meat & Produce

Around the country, many farmers markets and CSAs are gearing up for the summer season. Plan to visit your local market the weekend before your cookout. Load up on grassfed beef, and delicious fruits and veggies that were likely grown by the same person who rings up your order. Many farmers markets even offer locally made cheeses, breads, salsas, and sauces. If you’re planning a potluck affair, email a list of market vendors to your guests, and encourage them to choose their contribution from a local artisan. Check out www.localharvest.org to find a farmers market or CSA near you, and browse Ecosalon’s Top 10 Picnic Foods.

Bring Better Beverages

Sure, it’s easy to buy a couple of cases of soda and cheap domestic beer, dump them into the cooler and call it a day. Americans discard about 2.7 million tons of aluminum each year, mostly in the form of beverage containers. Only around 50 percent get recycled, so that’s a lot of usable metal heading to the landfill. If possible, make large batches of lemonade, iced tea, or punch in pitchers or glass jars that have an easy pour spigot.

For the adults, choose local and/or organic beers in a keg (no waste!), or if you’re not planning on drinking that much, in glass bottles. Glass is one of the few materials that can be recycled infinitely without losing strength, purity or quality. Set up a special barrel where your guests can deposit their empty bottles, so they can be easily recycled when the party’s over. Check out the Organic Authority’s guide to choosing eco-friendly beer.

Image: kevinmarsh

The post How To Plan An Eco-Friendly Barbecue appeared first on EcoSalon.

How is it May already? I flipped the calendar in disbelief last week, not only because we’re already five months into 2013, but also because Memorial Day is coming up fast.

Like many of us, I hope to get away for the long weekend, but have yet to make plans.

No worries, though. With any good trip, a laid-back attitude and being open to possibility often results in the most rewarding experiences. Let’s embrace the unexpected, see what’s available, and get going!

Here are some options if you’re also looking to take a last-minute Memorial Day getaway.

1. Go Urban

Here’s a little secret: Memorial Day weekend is one of the best times to visit a major U.S. city. It’s the holiday where urban dwellers head to small towns for barbecues, family reunions, and parades, resulting in quieter, less-bustling cities. It’s also the kick-off weekend for summer, and many locals are more than eager to leave their city for beaches and lakeside retreats. So, if you’re open to bucking the trend, check out a city you’ve been hoping to visit, or a long-time favorite metropolis you’ve been wanting to see again.

At press time, two major online travel agencies (Orbitz and Travelocity) were running Memorial Day hotel sales at cities around the country. You can also call your preferred hotel property (the hotel’s local number, not the 800- central reservations line) and ask if they’re offering any Memorial Day specials. I also like to check the specific city pages of Groupon, Living Social, and Amazon Local Deals to find last-minute travel, restaurant, or entertainment deals (just make sure to read the fine print and ensure any blackout dates don’t fall over the holiday weekend).

2. Go Local

So, you may not want to buck the trend (or you’re a city resident yourself), and are longing for that small town, beach, or lake getaway. Take advantage of the three-day weekend to explore the quick jaunt trip – a new-to-you destination within a one- to two-hour drive; or, a series of three day trips, all in your (relative) backyard; or how about a do-it-yourself culinary or attractions tour of your area, where you visit several local restaurants or historic sites you’ve always wanted to experience, but hadn’t gotten around to yet.

Get inspired by consulting the New York Times anthology, 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada, for possibilities both well-known and off the beaten path. I also recommend visiting a region’s convention and visitors’ bureau website to find accommodations, local deals, and things to do, as well as any special events happening over the holiday.

3. Go Far-Flung

While Memorial Day and summer travel may be synonymous with road trips, jetting away for the holiday may satisfy the need for a beach weekend. The key here is letting the deal guide your plan – if you’re not picky, you can find an affordable tropical setting with an umbrella drink just a few clicks away. At press time, I found three-night airfare-and-hotel Grand Cayman getaways from $519 per person with JetBlue Getaways, and three-night airfare-and-hotel Puerto Rico packages from $709 per person with CheapCaribbean.com. If a beach—any beach—will do, let your budget determine your location, keep an open mind, and you’ll be sure to find something to suit you.

Have a great long weekend, and happy travels!

Image: Julien Haler

The post No Memorial Day Plans? Get Going with 3 Last-Minute Holiday Travel Ideas appeared first on EcoSalon.

An exclusive playlist to inspire grilling genius, whether it’s burgers or asparagus. 

Summer’s here and the time is right, for grilling in the streets. Just kidding, keep it in the backyard.

Let this mix help you master the finer art of grilling this weekend. I like to “wow” my guests by pretending we are not just in my backyard, but someplace of a higher caliber… like the Catalina Wine Mixer. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Grill Master by BehindTheWalk-In

Catch this and all of our playlists on 8tracks.

10 Songs To Ensure That You Are a Memorial Day BBQ Master from ecosalon on 8tracks.

1. Good Timin’ – The Beach Boys

2. Trust – Echo Shade

3. I Get Nervous – Lower Dens

4. Make It Right – Dreams

5. Visible – Giraffage

6. Never Ending Evaporation – Taquwami

7. Catalina Wine Mixer – Work Drugs

8. Better Times – Beach House

9. ☾- Slow Magic

10. In Love With Dusk – Keep Shelly in Athens

Like what you hear? Check out our entire 10 Songs series. 

Image: gagilas

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